A Cabin in a Box
I’m taking this opportunity to correct myself… I’ve been calling it a Luton van when technically, as it doesn’t utilise the space over the cab, it’s a box van. But, it doesn’t make it any less cute. It just means we have a little less floor space than we’d have in a luton van (people typically build their bed over the cab).
I’ve spent today putting a few finishing touches on the van, and having a good tidy, and it made me stop and realise that I think we’re a solid 85% finished. In reality, a van is never done. A tiny space will always evolve as your needs change, and as time goes on you will naturally come up with better ideas for storage and ways to use the space.
As with all my tiny homes, it’s a very simple conversion. There’s no electricity system, I simply use a power bank that is charged from the 12v socket as we drive. It charges phones, tablets, laptop, lights, and even my little sander. The plumbing is a hand pump tap straight from a little water tank, with a lifesaver water filter Jerry can outside for drinking water. Our cooking situation is all gas, with the gas bottle being hidden under a vintage grain sack outside (on the ‘porch’) because I’m allergic to vibrant colours.
The one thing I’ve done differently with this van, has been to make a point to buy absolutely nothing unless it’s essential. You’ll notice a lot of the interior is just branches, and scavenged wood. I was lucky enough to be given a few pitch pine door panels, which became the kitchen/workbench, and a lot of things were removed from the Talbot motorhome to be reused. The kitchen windows were taken from an old TV cabinet (not by me, a friend owned the van previously and built the structure), and the cooker was pulled from an old caravan. Oh, the best bit, the big skylight is an old window, pulled from the same caravan.
This space is really an eclectic mix of reused, reclaimed, and things I’ve had sat in storage. I’m sure at some point I’ll decide that I want to completely change everything and I’ll dismantle it all and rebuild it, but for now, it’s (nearly) done.
